Suction mechanism for dental plates.



1. LEHNER. SUCTION MECHANISM FOR DENTAL PLATES,

APPLICATION FILED MAR-21, 19-

I 1,255,027. 7 Patented Jan. 29,1918.

WITNESS JOHN LEHNER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUCTION MECHANISM FOR DENTAL PLATES.

Application filed March 21,

Y '0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN Lnnnnn, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Suction Mechanism for Dental Plates, of which the following is a specifieation.

My invention comprises new and useful improvements in suction devices for upper dental plates whereby said plates are held in place against the wearers palates.

The difficulty in the forms of suction de-, vices now in general use for that purpose is that they occupy so much space that the plate is spaced away from the palate and thus lacks proper support against oscillation or wabbling.

In the use of my improved suction devices the plate is held snugly and solidly against the palate over its entire area, so that the'teeth are always held solidly in proper position and their chewing action is natural and causes no discomfort to the wearer.

More particularly, my invention consists in fixing a pair of relatively small soft rubber cups in apertures extending through the dental plate at either side of the medial line of the latter, the open, top edges of the cups protruding slightly above the surface of the dental plate so as to obtain a suction hold on the palate without spacing the plate away from the palate.

In the accompai'iying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an upper dental plate embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is sectional. view along the line IIIIII in Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a perspective of one of the suction cups before it is mounted in the plate, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the same.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

A represents an upper dental plate whose top surface is molded in the usual manner to fit. snugly against the wearers palate. On either side of the medial line, ab in Fig. 1, of the plate, I provide an aperture 1 extending through the plate and preferably elongated from front to rear of the plate, as

shown. These apertures are formed by inserting in the plate before vulcanization of the rubber small plates of a1r-chamber metal of the proper thickness and edge contour to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.29,1918.

1917. Serial No. 156,477.

form said apertures with a knife slot 2 run ning around their walls, as shown. WVhen the plate has been vulcanized, the plate of air-chamber metal is cut and drawn out of the aperture, leaving the same in proper form to receive the suction cups.

In each of said apertures l is inserted upwardly a soft rubber cup B, having its open top turned upwardly, and provided with a circumferential flange or lip 3 integral with its side wall and seating in the slot 2.

I Suitable cement is used to fix the cups in place.

The soft rubber upper edge of the cup extends sufficiently above the top surface of the plate to' obtain a suction grip on the palate without spacing the plate away from the palate. This protrusion should not be more than, say, a thirty-second of an inch. The bottom of the cup is rounded and smooth and protrudes slightly below the bottom surface of the plate.

When the plate is inserted into the mouth, the tongue is pressed lightly against. the bottoms of the cups, thus contracting the latter somewhat, so that when the plate is pressed snugly into contact with the palate, and the tongue dropped, suction action will at once ensue which will hold the plate snugly in contact with the palate without danger of oscillation or .wabblin Thus the teeth will be properly and, positively supported in proper position and the action of chewing will be natural and without discomfort or abrasion to the membrane of the roof of the month.

By enlongating the apertures, and consequently the cups from front to rear of the plate, a better gripping action is obtained and a more uniform contact between the plate and the palate.

When a cup becomes worn out or punctured, it may be torn from its aperture and a new one cemented into place at very slight expense, and with a very temporary loss of use of the plate.

My invention maybe applied to dental.

plates with much less expense than can any other suction devices now in general use, and its use results in great comfort to the wearer and satisfactory anchoring of the plate in the mouth.

What I desire to claim is:

1. The combination of a dental plate of hard material, apertures extending com plctcly through the palatable portion of the plate, a rubber suction trough positioned in each aperture having its closed portion protruding slightly below the lower surface of the plate and its free continuous edge protruding slightly above said plate and means for holding said cup Within the aperture.

The combination of a dental plate of hard material. apertures extending completely through the palatable portion of the pla te, a rubber suction trough positioned in each aperture having its closed portion protruding slightly below the lower surface of the plate and its free continuous edge protrading slightly above said plate and a tongue and groove engagement between the trough and the Wall of the aperture for holding the said trough Within the aperture.

3. As an article of manufacture, a suction cup for dental plates having an open top, a closed bottom and an encircling rib for securing the cup in position Within the dental plate.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Penna. this 19th day of hlarch, 1917.

JOHN LEHNER.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for fiye cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

